Improvement in the manufacture of jewelry



, J. OBRIG Manufacture of Jewelry.

No.-219,oo8. Patented Aug. 26, 1879.Y

ATTEST: TNW-:mmm:

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OBRIG, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE O'F JEWELRY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,008, dated August 26, 1879 application filed April 18, 1879.

I structin g jewelry by which an ornamental face of a unique character is produced, and also to the articles of jewelry so constructed, all as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan of a portion of ornamental jewelers stock constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken in the plane of the line m x. Fig. 3 is aperspective view, and Fig. 4 a transverse mid-section, of a complete article of jewelry, being a button or stud, constructed according to my invention.

In carrying out my invention I employ gold and its alloys, though the `baser metals may be substituted for it without departingfrom the essential features of my invention.

In the drawings, let A represent a plate of gold or other suitable metal whose face is of one uniform color, and B a similar plate having a surface of a diderent color from that of the plate A. An aperture, O, is formed in or cut through the plate A, its edge corresponding to the outline of some desired design, as the ligure of a leaf or insect. This aperture maybe formed by punching, sawing, or cutting, or in any other practicable way, and, instead of one, a series of such apertures may be so formed, if required. 'The said aperture having been properly formed, the plate B is fastened to the back or under side of the plate A by soldering, sweating, or in any other suitable manner. So much of the surface of the plate B as is exposed through the aperture C is then matted or roughened, producing a dead surface, and such engraving-or chasing as is required to complete the design is then done. In case the design is a leaf, as shown, the engraved lines are used to indicate the veins of the leaf. The surface of the plate A is then smoothed, lapped, or polished in the usual manner, thus completing the process of producing my improved ornamented jewelers7 stock.

4ent color of gold.

A very pretty and novel effect is produced by this construction. The polished surface of the plate A, in one color of gold, affords a strong contrast to the dull depressed surface of the underlaid plate B, which isI of a differ- The depression of the plate B, owing to the thickness of the plate A, produces the effect of intaglio, the surface of the plate B seeming to be the bottom of a shallow recess. y

To further enhance the beauty of the contrast between the plates A and B, I prefer to use a plate, B, having a face composed of two or more colors or alloys of gold, its colors all being, by preference, different from that of the plate A. The matting of the underlaid plate brings out its several colors with great beauty and distinctness.

In case more than one aperture is made through the plate A, the one underlaid plate is preferably made large enough to extend under them all, so that its surface is seen through each aperture. Thus when it is colored its colors may extend from under one aperture to the next in stripes or other designs.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a button or stud having a face constructed according to my invention, the underlaid plate B having a multi-colored surface, as just described.. The stud is provided with the usual pendent rim or ange, and with a suitable stem, D, or with some other means of attaching it to the gar ment of the wearer.

My invention is adapted to the ornamentation of a large variety of articles of jewelry, and may be applied to `either a dat or a curved surface. The usual stem, pin, or other provision for attaching the piece may be secured to it in the usual or any desirable manner, and

at any convenient stage of the process of manufacture.

vThe process above described for the conL struction of my improved ornamented face for jewelry is, as I believe, the preferable one, although it is not essential to its successful production. The plate B may be matted before being secured to or under the plate A if such attachmentis edected without the employment of sufficient heat to injure the matting; or the plate A may be lapped or polished before mat ting the plate B, though in this case its surA face is apt to be marred or scratched while the matting is being done. Heretofore, in this class of ornamenting, the matted and polished surfaces have usually been in the same plane, so that it was necessary to do the polishing first and the matting afterward, subject to the disadvantage above stated. My matted surface being a depressed one, the final operation of lapping does not affect the matting.

Furthermore, in the use of the article the matted surface is not exposed to wear, and if the lapped surface should become dulled or marred it can be repolished without interfering with the matted surface.

I am aware that ornamental faces for jewelry have been produced by rolling together several plates of diversely-colored metals or alloys until a compound plate composed of a number of thin layers or laminze is produced, and then scraping through from one layer to another until the desired colors to form the design are exposed, after the manner of a cameo; also, that pieces of one kind of meta-l have been inserted in mortises or apertures in a plate of a different metal, such being technically known as inlaying. My invention dii'ers from both of these methods in that I employ two distinct plates, the upper of which I provide with. an aperture through which the surface of the under one is visible, as is c lso the entire thickness of the upper plate-at the edges of the said aperture.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. rIhe improvement in the art of producing an ornamented face for jewelry, which consists in cutting one or more apertures, G, corresponding in shape to the outline of the required design, through a plate, A, of gold or other suitable metal, and fastening to its under side a metal plate, B, whose surface, as seen through the aperture or apertures, is of a different color from that of the plate A, substantially as set forth.

2. J ewelers stock composed of two .distinct plates of gold or other suitable metal, the upper one provided with an aperture or apertures and having a smooth or polished surface, and the surface of the other or underlaid plate where it appears through the aperture or apertures being of a different color from the upper plate and rough or matted, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN OBRIG. Witnesses:

GEO. A. LAWRENcE, ARTHUR C. FRASER. 

